Ling Dingnian, a famed novelist from Taicang, Jiangsu province, entered the public spotlight recently as his work China Micro-fiction Collection was translated and published in Canada.

Ling was born in the county-level city in 1951 and is renowned throughout China as a micro-fiction writer, a type of short fiction that typically spans fewer than 1,000 words- also known as flash fiction.

The novel includes 101 bizarre but enticing works of micro-fiction spread across 12 different themes. Topics include reflections on Buddhism and Zen, unusual anecdotes, and the absurdity of human nature. Ling has invigorated micro-fiction in China through his choice of candid subject matters, cynical eye, and ability to write clean concise stories.

Ling is one of the first Chinese micro-fiction writers to have been translated into English, which represents a noteworthy achievement. Furthermore, it is rumored that several professors at Kokugakuin University are translating his work into Japanese with a publication date tentatively set for December this year.

The Taicang writer has also played an important role in the national literary scene as an editor, a critic, and member in China Writers Association. Among his key contributions are his role of secretary general of World Chinese Micro-Fiction Association and that of deputy editor-in-chief of the magazine World Chinese Writers (Singapore).

The collection was translated by Zhang Baihua, who was in born in the Liaoning province city of Shenyang in 1963. Zhang is an associate professor and graduate supervisor of the Foreign Languages School at Inner Mongolia University of Technology and has led a career as a prolific academic researcher, writer and literary translator.

She has so far published nearly 1,000 articles on the subjects of essays, poetry, literary commentary, and fiction. Zhang has a deep feel for fluid English and has translated 20 major works from English into Chinese.

The front cover of China Micro-fiction Collection by Ling Dingnian, which is to be published in Canada. [Photo/Suzhou.gov.cn]